Rebellious fans push ignored Wimbledon into hands of administrators
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Your support makes all the difference.Wimbledon was placed into administration yesterday, felled by a fans' revolt over the move to Milton Keynes.
The proposed move alienated thousands of fans, who boycotted matches last season and switched their allegiance to the newly formed AFC Wimbledon.
Andy Hosking and Nick Wood, partners of Grant Thornton, have been appointed joint administrators and Wood said in a statement: "This is yet another example of the intrinsic problems facing many football clubs. Wimbledon's problems have been well documented and like so many clubs the short-term cash flow has become critical.
"Whilst not welcomed by many, it is becoming increasingly clear a move to Milton Keynes is a key element in ensuring the club has the facilities commensurate with its ambitions. They have not had a ground of their own, the ground-sharing with [Crystal] Palace has led to their fan base declining and revenue declining. They eventually ran out of cash. But you cannot blame the fans, they can go and see whatever team they want to see.
"The relocation plans are the most important factor of this. They can't make the business pay at Selhurst Park, the ground-sharing arrangement is not working. They need a home and somewhere to start rebuilding their fan base.
"The move will be very helpful in the administration process, it's going to prove crucial. Hopefully we will be able to rescue the club and have a successful relocation to Milton Keynes."
Since 1991 the club has shared Selhurst Park with Crystal Palace, after moving from Plough Lane. Even before the fans' revolt, attendances were low. But gates plummetted last season, sometimes to less than 2,000 a match, while attendances at AFC Wimbledon were far higher.
The club was given the go-ahead to relocate to Milton Keynes by an independent Football Association commission in May last year. In January the club said it would move to the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes. The club plans to secure a permanent base by June 2007, with a 28,000-seater stadium in Denbigh on the agenda.
Lower-league clubs were hard hit last season by the collapse of the ITV Digital, a slump in the transfer market and increased players' wages. A number of clubs went into administration, including First Division Ipswich Town and Leicester City.
Wimbledon, who finished 10th in the First Division last season, had a meteoric rise to the top flight after being elected to the Fourth Division in 1977.
They reached the old first division in 1986 and famously beat Liverpool at Wembley two years later to win the FA Cup. They were relegated from the Premiership in 2000.
The former Wimbledon goalkeeper Dave Beasant, who saved a John Aldridge penalty in the 1986 Cup Final, said: "It's difficult to try and put the blame on the fans because they support Wimbledon as a London-based club.
"The moves means they are going from South London to 30 or 40 miles up the motorway - that's a big move.
"We've seen some massive clubs go into administration and they've come out stronger."
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